855 A Million Times for You 217

"To the gym. I promised Xiaoning that I would get an eight-pack soon."

"…"

—

Four days had passed.

However, there was still no signs of them coming to.

It seemed as if their souls had left their bodies to go out on a spin.

An Xiaoning would head to the hospital whenever she was free.

She grew even thinner within just a few days.

At the same time, there was once again a new wave of controversial news about her.

It claimed that her birth characters were inauspicious, and she was labeled as a jinx who caused harm to those around her.

There were also various reporters and so-called experts who especially made a trip to the village where An Xiaoning's adoptive parents were living to find out more.

They managed to get their hands on some "evidence" and cited some ridiculous incidents.

To An Xiaoning, they were simply making absurd statements and frivolous claims about the incidents.

However, it can't be helped that some people had low IQs and lacked the ability to tell right from wrong, such that they were foolish enough to believe everything on the news.

There was no way to stop the news from spreading, and it was obvious that there was a mastermind behind the act.

An Xiaoning had no idea who the culprit was, and neither did she want to waste her time finding out.

She already had enough on her plate to worry about.

She did not expect there to be something else to add on to her woes.

The Jin family gave her a call to get her to go over to their place.

She had an ominous feeling.

She brought along the jade piece that Madam Jin had given her previously.

On her way there, she constantly pondered over Madam Jin's tone when they were speaking over the phone.

She guessed that the Lin family must have said something to them.

The Jin and Lin families had always enjoyed a strong camaraderie. Besides, Lin Shishi was now the president's wife. How could the Jin family be brazen enough to offend the Lin family?

An Xiaoning began to wonder if she was reading too much into things.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when she arrived at the Jin family home.

The weather had been merry lately, and the sun was shining bright in the sky above.

The temperatures were rather warm as well.

It seemed like summer was approaching.

She was dressed in a casual attire that consisted of a rainbow sweater that ended at her knees, a pair of black tights, and a pair of sports shoes.

As soon as she entered the Jin family mansion, she was greeted with the sight of Commander-in-chief Jin, Madam Jin, Jin Minxing, and Tuoba Danxue.

She stepped forward and sat down on an empty couch, appearing haggard and weary. "Father, Mother, do you have something to say to me?" she asked.

Madam Jin and Commander-in-chief Jin shot each other a glance.

Madam Jin stammered awkwardly, "Um… Xiaoning, I heard that you've been handling the aftermath of the major mishap that the Gu family had met with. I understand that you're tired and don't have the time to think about anything else, but there's something I have to talk to you about."

"There are no outsiders here. Mother, you can just be frank with me and cut straight to the chase," said An Xiaoning, resting her arm on the armrest and supporting her head with her hand.

"You were being too rash by severing ties with the Lin family during His Highness' wedding a few days ago."

"Did the Lin family tell you about that? I wasn't acting rash, that's just how I've always been. I don't care how authoritative the Lin family may be. If they don't want to be my relatives, so be it. It's no big deal. Now that things have come to this, I dare say upfront that I don't need my maiden family to do anything for me. We may continue being relatives if that's possible. If not, you may just tell me straight, lest we make things awkward for everyone."

The Jin family did not expect her to be so straightforward.

Before the Jin family could answer, An Xiaoning sat up straight and added, "Father, Mother, you may just tell me what you have on your mind. You don't have to beat around the bush. I've already guessed what you wanted to talk to me about."

"After much consideration, we've decided to sever ties with you. We're sorry, Xiaoning," said Madam Jin, not daring to look at An Xiaoning.

An Xiaoning remained still. Although she had already guessed it beforehand, she initially still had a little hope that it would be worth calling the Jin family her parents. Yet, it seems…

An Xiaoning said calmly, "I've already figured out that you were planning to do that. After all, you guys are closely related to the Lin family. Ever since I returned home from the wedding a few days ago, I've been wondering if the Jin family will sever ties with me so as to express your loyalty toward the Lin family. I also wondered if the Lin family will intervene and come in between our relationship. But your attitude says it all. There's no point in acknowledging me as your goddaughter at all since our ties can be cut so easily. I really don't know what else to say."

"We know you're a very capable and competent person, especially when it comes to fortune-telling. We forged ties with you mainly because you saved Shishi's life and we were hoping that you could aid us in tiding over future ordeals. Secondly, it's also because we don't have a daughter and hoped to have one. We mustered up a great deal of courage to make this decision," Madam Jin said with tears in her eyes.

"Gu Beicheng's grandfather was the sole decisionmaker when he acknowledged me as his godgranddaughter back then. Grandpa allowed me to have my name included in the ancestral records and made me become a part of the Gu family. They offered me so many benefits, but they only asked one thing of me, and that is to never leave their family in the lurch in times of crisis and to do everything in my power to help them overcome the ordeal. Grandpa's prophecy came true, and the Gu family is indeed facing a disaster right now. It's time I did my duty as their godchild and save them from danger. After my godparents died, I made a trip to the netherworld to see them for the last time. If possible, I would've done everything I could to bring them back to life, regardless of what it takes. I said these just to tell you, if you hadn't said such things to me today, I would've still lent the Jin family a helping hand in times of crisis in the future. However, you've greatly disappointed me, and you two are not fit to be my godparents. It doesn't affect me at all to be without the Jin and Lin families. It's your loss, cutting ties with me."

She placed the jade piece onto the coffee table and continued, "This is the jade piece you've given me, Madam Jin. I had a hunch that you were going to sever ties with me before I came and so I decided to bring the jade piece along with me. You may have it back."

Madam Jin stared at the jade piece, completely speechless.

Tuoba Danxue could not tolerate it further and snapped, "You sneaked into the Autumn Palace with a hidden agenda and even disguised as my bodyguard in order to get close to my elder brother. Do you know what you were doing by denying when we asked you about it previously? We have every right to execute you for being a spy!"

An Xiaoning stood up slowly and retorted vehemently, "Go ahead and execute me, then! Don't forget, I hold the evidence of your mother harming my mother for the past three decades! Go ahead and ask your elder brother if he dares to execute me. I sneaked inside the Autumn Palace in order to save my biological mother, not to become a spy. You'd better get your facts right. Tuoba Danxue, I'm no longer that bodyguard who was following you around last year. You'd better not be so disrespectful and imprudent to me. I'm not even afraid of your brother and mother. Do you really think I'd be afraid of you?"

Her words had greatly infuriated Tuoba Danxue, who turned as pale as a ghost. "An Xiaoning, aren't you being a little too arrogant!?!" she hollered.

"Yeah, that's just how arrogant I am. I'm hopelessly haughty, there are no limits to my arrogance," An Xiaoning retorted, glowering at them one last time before leaving.